Emergencies

In an emergency

If you have a life-threatening medical condition, call 000 and request an ambulance.

If you have an urgent medical condition you can also come to our Emergency Department.

Our entrance is located at the eastern end of the main hospital building on Robin Warren Drive off Murdoch Drive, Murdoch. Our Emergency Department operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

If you are coming into our Emergency Department, if possible please bring with you:

your Medicare Card
any other entitlement cards (health care, pension, veterans, safety net)
your passport/health insurance details (overseas visitors/students)
private health insurance details (if you want to be admitted as a private patient)
a list of your current medications
any x-rays/ultrasounds/scans that may be related to your condition
your employment contact details if your condition is covered by Workers’ Compensation
the name of your General Practitioner (GP).

Please be aware that patients are seen in order of illness severity, and not in order of attendance. If another patient comes to the Emergency Department with a more serious condition, you will be required to wait. We thank you for your patience and understanding.

Dental emergencies

The Emergency Department does not provide emergency dental services.

Visit Dental Health Services (external site) for information about how to access emergency dental care.

The UWA Dental School operates a weekend emergency clinic (external site).

Not all urgencies are emergencies

A large network of GP practices within the Perth metropolitan area provide GP urgent care services to patients so they receive the most appropriate care without the need to attend an emergency department.

Minor injuries and illness that can be treated at a GP urgent care clinic include:

musculoskeletal and orthopaedic injuries
gastrointestinal illnesses
illnesses of the eye, ear, nose and throat
stings, bites, rashes and wound infections
abrasions and minor lacerations.

When you arrive

Please see the triage nurse first. They will ask questions and assess your condition to determine your level of priority:

immediate (life threatening)
very urgent
urgent
standard
non-urgent.

Some patients need to be taken straight into the department. Others will be directed to the waiting room.

While you are waiting, please inform the triage nurse if:

your condition worsens
you decide to seek treatment elsewhere.

What happens next?

Once you are inside the Emergency Department, you will undergo a thorough assessment by a team of nursing and medical staff.

Tests and procedures will be carried out when necessary. The team will review your test results and provide emergency treatment, and will then decide to either:

allow you to return home with a referral if necessary for further care (such as a follow-up appointment with your local doctor or an outpatient appointment)
monitor your condition for a few hours before making a decision
admit you to the hospital for further care.

Sometimes patients must wait for test results or for a ward bed to become available. Our staff will continue to care for you until you are able to go to a ward or be discharged home.

Metropolitan emergency departments

In an emergency situation, present to your nearest Emergency Department.

Other Metropolitan Emergency Departments include:

Further information

Call Healthdirect Australia (external site) on 1800 022 222.
See more emergency and crisis services, including telephone services (Healthy WA).
Contact your GP.

Emergencies

Dental emergencies

Emergency Department

Not all urgencies are emergencies

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